Aurora from Iceland

[Carole]

I have managed to upload some images via Astrobin

No processing, straight out of the camera:

Images approx 20 secs, 1600 Iso f3.5 and auto darks, custom white balance on camera tripod.
Taken at Myvatn a remote dark site in the NE

Have also done a couple of time lapse sequences, to be processed when we get back.  Coming home today.



This one shows the pseudo craters opposite the hotel:

[Carole]

This one shows the corner of the hotel.

[Whitters]

Nice one Carole. Glad to see that you got to see the Aurora 

[MarkS]

Fantastic!

A successful trip then!


Mark

[Carole]

Thanks Paul and Mark.
Yes we've had a fantastic time, lots of interesting geological stuff to see as well.  Lots of laughs.

Doing a presentation on it at the April meeting. 

Carole

[Mike]

Wow! Fantastic. It's great that you finally got to see them.

[Carole]

Thanks Mike.  I think we were very lucky as both trips to a dark site out of Reykjavik were unsuccessful and since we've been back in Reykjavik some trips were cancelled due to weather conditions.

The second day in Myvatn was cloudy and the 3rd day had been snowing all day, then suddenly just after the evening meal the skies cleared completely and the constellations were stunningly clear, then the aurora started and lasted several hours (though it became more hazy after the first hour).  The staff at the hotel also said we were very lucky as they sometimes only last for a few minutes.  Even the first night although hazy went on for several hours.

One thing of note is that the aurora is not so sharply defined as we have come to expect, with the naked eye.  I guess we have all been expecting what we see in photos.  Nevertheless you can still see all the shapes twisting and twirling.

Carole

[Tony G]

Carole,

Well done on the images.
This is 1 of 2 things that I want to see before I die, the other being a tornado, which in a way have crossed off my list, after seeing 4 waterspouts on a fishing trip off Littlehampton years ago.
Still fantastic that you managed to get some images as earlier reports from Iceland, were not looking promising.

Tony G

[Carole]

Thanks Tony, Yes it was one of the things I wanted to see before I die.

Can now cross that off my list, but would love to see it again given the opportunity.

Carole

[Fay]

you were lucky Carole. great pictures!!

[RobertM]

Great pictures Carole, I like the ghost in the first image.

[Fay]

 

[Mac]

Nice images,

Glad you actually managed to get to see them,
Nothing more frustrating then going somewhere to see something and not actually getting to see it.

Mac

[Carole]

Thanks Fay, Robert and Mac.

Nothing more frustrating then going somewhere to see something and not actually getting to see it.

Exactly. 

Well we did everything we could to maximise our chances, near solar maximum, new Moon, dark site, it was definitely good that we went to Myvatn as you could just pop out of the hotel any time you wanted to and stay up all night if you liked which some of us did on two nights. 
If you go out on a Jeep from Reykjavik, although they did stay out until after 1am, you are then brought back, so if the aurora appears later you miss it.  This actually happened to one group in our Reykjavik hotel, very annoying.

Of course having done all that we were still weather dependent, but the weather changes very quickly in Iceland, so it is worth waiting it out.

Carole

[Carole]

I like the ghost in the first image

Yes I've been trying to fathom that out Robert.  It seems like the person was only there for part of the 20 sec sub, but then why don't I get a trail of him/her walking into/out of the image?

Actually on closer inspection there is a faint "trail" of the person getting into position. 

We're back by the way, came back last night.  

Carole